Spring device



Sept. 21, 1943. w. HAGELSTEIN SPRING DEVICE Filed May 9, 1942 INVIfNTOR. William Ho esiein M2405. M

HIS ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 21, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

I 2,330,120 v g SPRING DEVICE William Hagelstein, Arrochar, Staten Island, N. Y. Application May 9, 1942, Serial No. 442,203

, -7 Claims. (01. 24-255 .This invention relates to improved spring Structures; I e

. It isan object of my invention to providea spring for use with clamps or like fastening devices, imparting thereto, improved holding qualitieswith minimum use of spring material.

It is an object of my invention to provide a spring adaptable for use with fasteningorclamping devices such as clothespins, garment hangers, and the like, and other devices wherein afasteriing or clamping member is to be brought into resilient and yieldable engagement with another element.

Spring structures or elements employed with present forms of spring clothespins or garment hangers usually embody a spring having a num-' ber of closely positioned'coils forminga barrel which is at least the width of the clothespin jaw member; at each end of thecoil, an extension of thespring hooks over the respective. jaws of the clothespin to complete the assembly. Such spring elements inefficiently, employ the spring material; and the jaws of the clothespin or the like are so readily disengaged fromthe spring member as to render the clothespinvulnerable to failure inservice.

A spring structure made according to my invention comprises a "relatively short length of spring wire formed with a double spring loop connected by an integral spring link; the power of the spring is the cumulative effect of the resiliency of the loops plus the resiliency of the interconnecting link. For clothespins or the like, two such spring devices are employed, one on each side of the jaws of the clothespin. The free ends of the spring are secured to the jaws,

making the same proof against disengagement with respect to the spring.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a spring clothespin employing my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a perspective of a spring constructed according to my invention;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a clothespin employing a second form of spring element embodying my invention;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same, partly in section to disclose means of securing the spring to the respective elements of the clothespin;

Fig. 6 shows one application of clothespins embodying my invention; and

, Fig. 7 is an'elevation of'a garment holder or. similar clamp, embodying my invention.

Referring first to Fig. 3, a preferredembodiment of my improved spring comprises spaced spring systems H, II, desirably interconnected by an integral tiemember |2.. v

Each spring system is formed by bending a spring steel wire to provide angularly related branches M, It, at the vertex of which is a leop l5, and at the terminals of which are loops M, H. The terr ninal end of each system extends downwardly and inwardly, as shown.

Each spring system is, in effect, a concatenation of individual spring members, to; wit, the loop lirespective branches I4, l4, and loops l6. andll.

"'My improved spring is particularly adaptable to clothespins or like clamping devices, although; it is not"r'estricted to such use. As shown in; Figs. 1 and 2, a jaw member 29 of a clothespin;

is passed between the spaced spring systems, the;

interconnecting member l2 fitting within a slot: in said jaw 28, as shown, to confine the jaw against lateral displacement. The coacting jaw .2I' is positioned between the spring systems, and

the inwardly projecting ends thereof are inserted into a passage 22 in said jaw, see Fig. 2. I

The spring systems may be secured to jaw 21 by a rivet 23, passed through the jaw and the respective loopsl 'l, and headed over said loops. Preferably the diameter of the rivet should be less than the diameter of the loop, to permit said loop to contract and expand freely when the clothespin is opened. For conventional clothespins, in which the jaws 20, 2| are in engagement when in closed position, and in which one member rocks upon the other when the pin is open, it is not necessary to pass a rivet through the loops IS; the connection l2 completely secures the pin member 20 against displacement. It has been demonstrated that the spring system so adequately holds the jaws 20, 2| against displacement that the clothespin is proof against separation under extreme conditions of use.

I prefer to drill a hole 24, of suitable size to pass a light line or flexible wire, through one of the jaw members, whereby a plurality of clothespins may be permanently strung on a line 25, see Fig. 6. The pins are slidably strung on said line, whereby they may be moved to an end of the line, and the latter wound upon a reel 26.

Fig. 7. shows my improved spring as employed with a towel hanger or the like. Said hanger includes a relatively long jaw member 30, having holes 3!, 31 near its ends to permit it to be nailed.

to a wall, and a complementary jaw member 32. As shown in Fig. '7, a rivet 33 is passed through loops I6 and the jaw 30. The positive securement of the jaw 30 to the spaced spring systems makes it possible to lengthen the spring arm [4, spacing the members 30, 32 in the zone of the spring, and proportionately increasing the extent to which the members can be spread relative to each other.

In the embodiment of Figs. 4;v and 5,, the spring, systems are structurally independent. The ends. of each system extend inwardly into the respective jaws 20, 2|, and a rivet 23 is passed through,

each of the loops [6, l1, to secure the spring systems to the jaws.

The spring actions remain the same, in that each of the loops [5, l6, and H, spring independently, as do the spring arms. I 4, [4, when the jaws 20, 2| are rotated about each other in' opening the pin.

As in the. embodiment of Fig. Z, the arm. member I4 may be as. long as is desired, to increase the space to. which the jaws 2H, 2 l may be. separated, and thereby permitting bulky materials. to, be satisfactorily held between such jaws.

Whereas I have described my inventionby reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes. and modifications may be made, provided they do not depart from the scope of the claims,

I claim:

1. An improved,- spring, comprising. individual spring systems, maintained. in spaced parallel relationship by an. integral connection member, each spring. system including spring arms in. angular relationship one to the other, a spring loop. at the juncture of said spring arms, and spring loops at the end'sthereof; said. spring being formed from. a continuous length of spring mate rial.

2; An improvedspring, comprising. spring arms in angular relationship one with the other, a spring loop atthe, juncture of said spring arms, and spring loopsnea'r. the ends,thereoisaidispring arms terminating. in inwardly directed. branches.

3. An improvediclamping, device, comprising a pair of jaw membersarrangedi face to face,'and a spring, system for maintaining sai'clij'a'w members in resilient face to face contact,.saidi spring system including, spring arms in angular relationship one with the other, a spring loop at the juncture thereof, and spring loops at the ends thereof, and means for securing said spring system to said jaw members.

4. An improved clamping means, comprising a pair of jaws and spring means for urging said jaws into resilient face to face contact, said spring means including a spring system disposed on each side of said jaws and interconnected with an integral member embracing one of said jaws and cooperating said spring systems: to secure said jaw against displacement, said spring systems comprising angularly related spring members, a spring loop at the juncture of said spring members, a spring loop at each end of said spring members, a rivet passing through a common loop of eachspring system and through one of said jaws, andmeansfor securing the free ends of said spring systems to said jaw.

improved clamp, comprising a pair of jaw members. and a spring system. positioned on each side of said jaw members and secured thereto, said spring, system including. a pair of angularly related, springf arms, a spring loop formed at a juncture. of said arms, and. a spring loop formed adjacent the end. of each ofsai'd' arms, the terminal, ends of said arms projecting into said jaw members, and means for securing said spring systems to said jaw members, including rivets extending through similar loops of said spring. systems and through said jaw members.

6..An im roved clamp according to claim. 5, further characterized by one of said jaw members being longer than the other, and having means for the securement' thereof to' a supporting surface.

7. An improved cl'othesp'in, comprising a pair; of jaw members and a. spring system positioned on each side of said jaw members and, secured thereto, saidspring system including a pair of angularly related spring arms, a spring. loop formed at a juncture of said arms, and a spring loop formed adjacent the end of each of' said arms, the terminal ends of. said" arms projecting into one of said jaw members, and means for securing said spring systems to sai'djawmemb'ers, one of said jaw members havinga: passagetherethrough to slidabiy receive a clothesline or the like;

HAGELS'IEINI 

